Worldwalker
by spectaculaire
Summary: It's no coincidence that two powerful demigods happened to run into two powerful magicians. Nico unwillingly finds himself as the only one who can prevent the three worlds - Greek, Roman and Egyptian - from colliding. Takes place after the Son of Sobek. Includes characters from PJO, HoO and the Kane Chronicles. This story was previously titled "Magic Tricks". Enjoy!
1. Midnight Apparel

**Ever envision a meeting between Nico di Angelo and Sadie Kane? I did too. This is what I imagined how their meeting would be like! **

**DISCLAIMER: THE WORLD OF PERCY JACKSON AND THE KANE CHRONICLES BELONGS TO RICK RIORDAN, NOT ME OKAY?**

* * *

NICO

Ever since I ran into that crazy knife-nut catlady during one of my shadow-travelling training sessions with Mrs. O'Leary, I strayed away Brooklyn as much as I could.

However, I've been in all sorts of places and I have to admit - Brooklyn has _the_ best clothing store that fits my taste and pocket money.

See, I've been wearing the same aviator jacket for almost three years now and it's been getting sort of frayed. I guess it's due to the countless times I slept in the streets, fought monsters that took every opportunity to claw/burn/crush/skewer/generally harm me and the times I was stupid enough to use the clunker of a laundry machine in my father's palace.

Now it was autumn, which brought jacket weather to the earth and my wicked step-mom Persephone to the Underworld. I was being completely serious when I called Persephone my evil step-mom. Just this morning, I stepped into the throne room and she started screeching at me.

"What is that?" she shrilled.

Perplexed, I asked, "What is what?"

Persephone let out a dramatic sight. "Never mind, I'll fix the problem," she stated, exasperated.

With a wave of her hand, my jacket turned into a robe weaved out of violet aromatic flowers.

"_Dies immortales_!" I exclaimed, "What the Hades did you do to my jacket?" I scrutinized my flowery right sleeve. "Are these violets?"

"They're pansies," Persephone corrected in a condescending tone, "Consider this an early birthday gift." She smiled sweetly in the _appreciate-it-or-I'll-turn-YOU-into-a-pansy _way.

Considering that Persephone did turn me into flower before, I forced out a stiff "Thanks" and stormed out of the throne room.

Then I stuffed the floral robe deep inside of my backpack, slipped through the nearest shadowy wall and after making a huge travel decision, I stepped onto the streets of Brooklyn.

Right in front of me was a boutique within a brick building, the words _Midnight Apparel_ emblazoned in black on the giant windows. Mannequins modeling darkly colored attire and leather jackets were showcased behind the glass. After a quick scan of my surroundings, just in case the catlady happened to shop here, I entered the small store.

Because of Midnight Apparel's obscure location and the fact that it was still morning, there wasn't many people in the store. Just how I like it.

I strode straight to the jacket section, which was located in the back of the store near the shoe section.

It seemed that chains were in style because the jacket section was filled with a whole lot of leather and metal. While I perused the racks for another black coat minus chains, I noticed from the corners of my eyes that a girl at the shoe section seemed to be staring at me.

I glanced up and the girl conspicuously dipped her head. As subtlety as I could, I tried to get a good look at my apparent starer. She looked like one of those teenaged rebel types. Her streaked caramel hair masked her lowered face as she tried on a pair of combat boots. Was it me or was she blushing? Either way, it was obvious that she was avoiding my gaze.

With a shrug, I returned to my search for a jacket my size. However, I was wary of the girl. For all I knew she was a monster disguised as a teenager with a penchant for relatively unknown clothing shops that sell nothing lighter than navy blue. Or maybe she thought I was cute or something. Both theories meant a scary situation.

Soon she was staring at me again. Her was so indiscreet way that it was starting to creep me out a little.

I put down the jacket I was currently considering and scowled at her. I was alarmed to see that the girl seemed to be around my age, meaning she probably shouldn't be shopping here.

"Is there a problem?" I inquired.

The girl's eyes widened. "I don't know what you're blathering about." She had a British accent. That was strange.

My wariness increased. Perhaps I was being paranoid but I began to prepare myself for a possible monster situation. Really, how many leery yet pretty British girls at thirteen-ish years old do you encounter at the only place where you buy clothes? On top of that you're the son of one of the most powerful gods and you're the only half-blood who's aware of the existence of two demigod sanctuaries. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if there was someone out there to get me.

I decided not to jump to conclusions so quickly. "You were staring at me," I told her, "So, do you need something?"

"No. Nothing at all," replied the girl, frowning. With hesitation, she continued. "Actually, I was staring because you... remind me of someone I know."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," I said. It was true - others have told me that I reminded them of my sister or father. Of course this couldn't be the case for right now. There was no way that this stranger personally knew about my dead older sister or the ancient god of the dead.

"Also, if don't mind me asking, do you always carry a sword around?" the girl questioned.

Startled, I patted my dark sword of Stygian iron, which was sheathed on my side. My scowl deepened. Typically, the Mist made mortals believe that I had a black baseball bat or a walking cane. Because of my sword, there have been many times where old ladies called me a delinquent or asked to borrow my cane because "I'm not using it and I'm surely too young to need one".

Clearly, there was something up with that girl. However, when she asked, she sounded genuinely curious and naive. Perhaps she was a fellow half-blood. On the other hand, due to Percy's deal with the Olympians, at her age she should be claimed by now. Most likely she was one of those rare mortals who could see through the Mist.

"Yes I do," I responded, "I'm a... weapons enthusiast."

"Really?" The girl was unconvinced. Her blue eyes seemed to pierce through my skull. I had an uncomfortable feeling that maybe this girl knew more that I suspected.

A few moments of awkward silence passed before the girl spoke again, this time in a low voice. "You know, mate, you can tell me if you're from another Nome."

I stared at the girl, confused out of my mind. "Gnome?"

The girl hastily checked if there was anyone within earshot. "You can stop pretending now," she whispered, "FYI, you have an aura so strong it's rather sickening. It's quite impossible to dismiss you as _not_ one of us. In fact, I'm from the Twenty-First Nome."

"Um, do you mean 21st century?" I asked feebly. What in the world was this girl talking about? And did she just insult me?

She groaned and grumbled to herself, "I don't care what Carter told me about keeping my mouth shut to strangers. There's no doubt, seeing that you keep a bloody _sword_ and you look almost exactly like... ugh, never mind." She put down the boots she just tried on and held her hand out. "Sadie Kane. Scribe of Brooklyn House, which is one of the best Nomes out there I might add."

Okay, maybe she was not a monster. Maybe she was simply _insane. _I gingerly shook her hand. "Nico di Angelo."

Looking back, it probably wasn't a good idea to tell my full name to someone I just met. Especially to a girl who seemed to have an obsession with gnomes.

The girl beamed. "I knew you were going to admit you're a magician. Say, is di Angelo Italian? Do you happen to be from the Nome in Italy?"

I did not answer her question because my attention was caught by the first sentence. "Did you just call me a magician?"

Sadie opened her mouth in surprise. Then her eyes narrowed. "You're not a magician, aren't you?" she demanded.

Even with my experience with terrifying monsters and even more terrifying gods, I still managed to feel intimidated by this thirteen-ish year old girl's glare.

"No," I said slowly, "I'm a weapons enthusiast."

"Oh." Sadie was visibly disappointed.

I felt guilty for getting this girl's hopes up, although I wasn't sure what exactly were her hopes.

"So... you're a magician, right?" I asked, trying to sound interested.

"Yeah," Sadie answered dully, "And you're not. And I bet you think I'm mental."

I hesitated. "Actually, I bet you do awesome magic tricks."

Sadie stared at me, her face gradually brightening. "As a matter of fact, I can."

"On that case, Sadie Kane," I said with a slight bow, "Care to show me some magic tricks?"

Sadie smiled and returned my bow. "I suppose I can. But right now, I'm finding a good replacement to my favourite combat boots." She gestured to the extremely tattered boots she was wearing.

I whistled. "Wow. Did those boots just fight in a huge battle or something?"

"You have no idea," Sadie said dryly, "Anyway, the coat you were just holding is a nice one."

I held up the jacket I put down before talking to Sadie. I had to admit, I liked it.

"You know, I think I'll buy it," I said. Yep, this jacket was way better than that pansy robe. For one thing, it was in my favourite shade - black. Honestly, I wasn't confident that I could look good in violet or floral or violet floral.

"So, if you do want to see me perform some magic, wait for me outside the store," Sadie instructed. Her smile suddenly seemed crooked, as if she was planning something mischievous.

"Sure thing," I replied and headed to the cash register with my new jacket.

Even though I've seen a magic show from the Hecate kids and I doubted Sadie could do any better, I was looking forward to seeing her tricks. Mostly, I wanted to see what kind of person Sadie Kane was.

My experience with mortals who could see through the Mist suggested that they tended to end up doing something pretty darn amazing. For example, there was Sally Jackson, caring mother of the most powerful demigod around, and Rachel Dare, the resident Oracle of Camp Half-Blood. So even though Sadie Kane was apparently a magician fascinated with gnomes, very likely she'd be somehow important to the "mythological" world.

Or become like Luke Castellan's mother and go delirious, but I was trying to stay positive here.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed reading this! I'll be updating this real soon continuing the story with Sadie's point of view**

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**Seriously, please review **

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	2. Abra Cadabra, Egyptian Style

**I'm going to say this right now. **

**If I got any British slang wrong, I am bloody sorry. This was my attempt to write from the perspective of a spunky teen from London and let me say that it was MUCH harder than I thought :/**

**DISCLAIMER: THE WORLD OF PERCY JACKSON AND THE KANE CHRONICLES BELONGS TO RICK RIORDAN, NOT ME OKAY?**

* * *

SADIE

Weapons enthusiast, my arse.

I haven't the slightest clue why he'd lie, but Nico di Angelo was certainly something _else._

To tell the truth, I wasn't sure what Nico could be. When I first caught a glimpse of him, I thought he was Anubis. Of course that was impossible because I was dating Anubis/Walt. Still, with the dark hair, dark eyes, and dark clothes, Nico looked uncannily like a thirteen-ish year old version of Anubis. Plus, weird enough, the boy exuded a suffocating aura of death. Either that or he wore too much cologne.

Following my crushed Anubis theory, I considered the idea that Nico could be a magician I haven't met yet. Yet, the bloke looked very confused when I was introducing my true identity.

I dearly hoped that Nico wasn't an ordinary mortal. He carries a bloody sword for God's sake! Not one of those phony foam ones but something wickedly sharp with a fancy hilt. By the looks of it, Nico _must_ be a combat magician! How else was he able to keep that frightful, three-foot long blade of pure black metal at his side without having some passerby goggle at him.

Fortunately, I had an idea of how I'd make Nico admit he's not just a weapons enthusiast.

I tried not to be one of those girls who take forever while picking out shoes. In record time, I was out of the store, my satchel slung over my shoulder and a shopping bag in my hand. Like he promised, Nico was waiting for me outside.

"Hiya," I greeted. Nico waved back.

"Ready to see some fantastic magic tricks?" I asked in a pompous manner.

"Yup," Nico replied nonchalantly. Goodness. I guessed that with the black clothes and all that Nico wasn't exactly a ray of sunshine, but would it kill him to be more enthusiastic?

I pushed that slight annoyance away (I didn't want to be _that_ girl). "Very well, follow me," I said then headed towards the nearest alley.

Nico did not follow. I turned around to find him glaring at me. I must admit, Nico's had a killer stare like daggers.

"C'mon!" I exclaimed with a wave of my hand, "You were the one who requested a magic show in the first place."

Nico's hand was slowly sliding towards his sword. "Yeah, but I didn't know you wanted to perform your magic in a dark alley. That's pretty sketchy."

"What do you think I'm going to do? Attack you?" I joked, "Am I really that terrifying? Or are you scared of alleys?"

Nico scowled at me for a few more moments, then advanced towards me. "Fine. Let's go to the creepy alley," he agreed, his eyes still narrowed.

As we approached the alley, I was starting to feel quite nervous. What if this turned out all wrong and the boy truly was a weapons enthusiast? What if he was dangerous and irrational. I hope I could handle him if it turned out he was mad.

His glare remained as we stood in the alley. I suppose Nico's wariness was reasonable. If a stranger told me to come to a dodgy alley with them, I'd be rather suspicious too.

"So," I awkwardly started, "I'm shall start off simple."

After rummaging through my satchel, I took out a pencil. I flourished it in front of Nico then snapped it in half.

"As you can see, the pencil is broken."

Nico cocked his head to the side. "Is this the trick?" Insulting but at least he seemed less tense.

I shook my head. "_This_ is the trick."

I placed the pencil halves on the palm of my hand and covered the parts with my fingers.

"Now, a few magic words," I informed. "_Hi-nehm._" _Join._

My fingers unrolled, revealing a whole pencil.

Nico nodded in approval. "Cool trick. Those words sound sort of familiar though."

Hmm, now we're getting somewhere.

"They're Egyptian," I told him. I studied his face for any hint of recognition. Indeed, there was the slightest furrow in Nico's eyebrows.

"Why do you use Egyptian terms as magic words?" enquired Nico. This boy was really stubborn about keeping his identity a secret wasn't he?

"I have a keen interest in Egyptian mythology," I answered airily.

"Moving along, I am going to make something appear out of thin air."

Waving my hands like a conductor, I concentrated deeply. Unlike my brother Carter who was a natural at this, it required loads of concentration for me to reach into Duat. Luckily, it took about a minute until I was able to grasp my staff and pull it out of Duat.

Nico gawked when my staff appeared. His dark eyes were so bugged out that they looked ready to drop out from their sockets.

"Ta da!" I piped.

Nico had a great trouble speaking. "Th-That was, uh... How did you do that?" he spluttered.

"I bet you already have an idea," I chuckled, "Anyway, if you found that trick dull, then you'd be gobsmacked by this one!"

This was the risky part of the magic show. After I applied a quick glamour just in case someone passed by, I transformed my staff into a majestic tiger. The creature snarled right at Nico's face, blowing his black hair back.

Nico's jaw dropped. He cautiously pointed his finger at the animal. "Hold up, is that a tiger?"

I grinned. "Excellent, you can see it."

"Of course I can see it. It's a giant freaking cat!" Nico retorted, "What sort of magic is this?"

Ha! I got him! There was no way that he could say he was an ordinary mortal now! "Fantastic. So what Nome are you from?" I asked.

"Excuse me? Honestly, what is up with you and gnomes?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're very new to this, aren't you? Or are you nitwit? Anyway, I simply turned my staff into a lion. But my question is, where are you from?"

The boy hesitated. "Long Island."

Interesting. I should tell Carter that there are other magicians in New York. How rude of them to never introduce themselves.

However, at the moment, Nico was still regarding the tiger like a feral creature.

I sighed. What an amateur. "No worries, Nico. The tiger is tame when I want it to be."

"That's not very reassuring," Nico remarked. He then muttered to himself, "Why do I always run into catladies in Brooklyn?"

I scoffed. "Did you just call me a catlady?" I changed the tiger into a staff again causing Nico's shoulders to relax.

"What else can you do?" Nico asked.

"I have a knack for hieroglyphic spells, elemental magic, blah blah blah," I replied with a dismissive wave of my hand, "Really, I'm wondering what kind of magic _you_ can do?"

Nico hesitated. "I consider myself a pretty awesome necromancer," he finally said.

"Pretty awesome, huh?" I commented, "You're rather confident about your abilities, aren't you?"

Nico nodded, a bit sheepishly for he probably realized how snobby he sounded.

"What do you mean by 'pretty awesome'?" I continued, "Can you have a jolly good conversation with a ghost? Can you raise skeletal armies just like that?" I snapped my fingers.

"Yup," Nico replied as if I asked him if he was able to swim.

Now it was my turn to bug my eyes out. "Are you serious? I mean, you don't have to demonstrate, in fact I prefer that you don't, but can you really do that?" At Nico's nod, I added, "Where were you when the Brooklyn House was under attack? Where were you during the whole Apophis crisis? A skeletal army would've been nice then!"

I huffed. Although I never witnessed any magic from Nico, I believed it when he claimed he was a necromancer of that capacity. That would explain the thick aura of death.

The self-proclaimed "pretty awesome necromancer" scrutinized me. I almost hear the gears in his mind speedily working on an excuse. "I was busy."

"That's your excuse? What was seriously more serious than an enormous monster associated with chaos that caused a whole lot of... chaos?!" I cried.

Nico gave me a strange look. "You have no idea."

It took me a few seconds to recollect myself. "Are there more of you in Long Island? Did you all happen to be _busy_ during the near apocalypse?"

Before Nico could open his mouth, a figure suddenly tackled Nico and like a flash, he was gone.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**

**Please review! I'd love to hear some feedback! Whether they're just comments, or predictions of what made Nico go away, or other stuff. I really want to know what you guys think. **

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	3. A Whole New World

**This is the third and final chapter of Magic Tricks. I hope you caught all of the PJO and Kane Chronicles references in the previous chapter.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE PERCY JACKSON AND OLYMPIANS SERIES OR THE KANE CHRONICLES. RICK RIORDAN DOES. **

* * *

NICO DI ANGELO

While I was deciding on whether or not to inform Sadie about the other "magicians" in Long Island, I was abruptly interrupted by a tackle with more force than an NFL player.

Before I knew it, I was out of the alley and out of Sadie's sight. Things rushed past me in a speedy blur and I was too dazed to react. Soon, things slowed down and I found myself leaning on the brick wall in another alley.

Staring right at me were a pair of uncomfortably familiar yellow eyes.

Oh gods. It was _her, _the crazy, knife-nut catlady.

A petite, lithe woman decked out in a full-length, tight, leather, leopard-print bodysuit glared at me from the other wall of the alley. She wielded two scary knives and pointed one at my chest.

This was going to take a while. I guess now I had to tell my half-sister Hazel that I needed to postpone my visit.

"What were you doing with my kitten?" hissed the catlady.

I blinked. "What? Your kitten? Do you mean the tiger? The tiger was Sadie's staff. I mean it _was_ a staff then it turned into a tiger then back to a staff," I rambled. I was usually not the rambling type but this lady seriously terrified me.

The catlady narrowed her eyes. She pulled her arm back, poised to throw her weapon. I was unfortunate enough to encounter this woman before. Whatever monster she was, she had incredible aim. I knew it was no use to take out my sword. The last time I did, I got a bit too many scratch marks and holes in my aviator jacket than I liked.

On that thought, I put my palms up. "Wait!" I cried to the catlady before she threw her knife, "Not the jacket! It's new!"

The catlady tilted her head to the side, looking at me strangely. At that moment, she resembled a confused cat. "Excuse me?"

I took off my jacket and held it up. "I just bought this jacket. Do you know how hard it is to find an affordable quality aviator jacket in my size?" I suddenly felt a hot lump of anger in my throat. I was usually not the kind of person who freaked out about clothes, but it actually took me some effort to find the right jacket. I was going to allow this random woman wreck it!

The catlady bit her cheek. "No. Not at all."

"Well, I've been to a bunch of big cities and let me tell you, it's pretty freaking difficult."

The catlady lowered her knife. "For your information, there are tons of websites that sell..."

"I don't go on the Internet," I told her, thinking of all the monsters I would attract if I searched for a jacket on eBay.

"Really? I thought all teenagers-" The catlady paused. "You know, you forgot to take off the price tag and I can see that the jacket only cost twenty dollars."

"So?" I retorted.

"Twenty dollars isn't that much," the catlady replied, "In fact, I have another bodysuit-"

"Look, lady," I interrupted, "No offense but I don't really care about your bodysuits."

"Well, it's Egyptian cotton," the catlady continued, "And it cost a fortune. Mostly because it was designer."

"I don't have much allowance," I explained.

"Really?" The catlady sounded surprised. "Aren't you the son of the god of riches?"

"Yeah but it's not like my father lets me pick rubies from his front yard," I replied with an eye-roll.

"Aww, that sucks," the catlady commented sympathetically, "But at least he got you that sword. What metal is that exactly?"

"Stygian iron. Also, my dad didn't give it to me someone else-" I shook my head to clear it up, "Time out. Why am I even answering your questions? The last time we ran into each other, you _attacked _me."

The catlady's face held an expression of guilt. "Sorry about that. I just... didn't want you here. You see, you shouldn't be in Brooklyn."

"Why not?" I demanded, although I had an idea why.

The catlady sighed. "Nico di Angelo, you don't belong here and every time you step foot in Brooklyn, you're stretching your luck. It's bad enough that you're the only demigod that's aware of the other camp's existence. When you're in Brooklyn, you're treading way too close to... our world."

I thought back to Sadie's words about hieroglyphs and her "keen interest" in a certain type of mythology.

"The Egyptian world," I said.

The catlady nodded seriously. "I suppose I should've kept a closer eye on Sadie and her big mouth."

"So is your world like my world except the Egyptian myths are real?" I asked for clarification.

The catlady hesitated then answered, "Yes."

I had another question tugging at me. "I'm just wondering, like in my world, do your gods have children too? Children like Sadie?"

"No," the catlady replied, "We have magicians. Nowadays, recent events have permitted magicians to choose the path of a certain god or goddess, similar to the specialized powers half-bloods like you have due to your parentage."

The catlady finally put her knives away. She gave me a pleading look. "Nico, please don't ask me any more questions. It would do no good to burden you with more information. You have to understand that in order to maintain peace in the universe, each world has to be kept separate."

"I've never told any of the Greeks about the Romans yet. I promise you I won't tell anyone about the Egyptians," I assured

The woman gave me the slightest smile. "Your secretive nature does you credit. It is now clear to me why Ma'at has chosen you to be the only one who always knows about the other world first."

We were interrupted by the sound of Sadie's voice.

"Nico?! Nico, where are you?!" called Sadie.

The Egyptian catlady turned to me as if to give me another warning. I stopped her in her tracks by saying, "Don't worry. I won't tell her any details about my world."

Sadie passed by her alley and abruptly stopped at the sight of the two of us.

"Bast!" she exclaimed.

Sadie sprinted towards us and gave the woman a massive hug.

"It's great to see you again, my kitten," the woman cooed while patting Sadie's back.

Oh, so _that_ was she meant by kitten. I wondered if the woman called every kid "her kitten".

"Bast, were you the one who took away Nico?" Sadie questioned.

"Yes," the catlady known as Bast answered, "I wanted to have a chat."

"About what?" Sadie asked.

"She was talking to me about her designer bodysuit," I told Sadie.

Sadie made a noise of exasperation. "Bast, I _told_ you that nobody is interested in your expensive, Egyptian cotton bodysuit! Nevertheless a teenaged boy!"

"He started talking to me about his jacket," informed Bast.

"His jacket is new," Sadie said, "It's a good conversation starter."

I checked my watch. Looked like I still had a chance to be on time for my visit in Camp Jupiter to see my sister Hazel. "Sorry ladies, but I have to be somewhere very soon."

Sadie looked at me beseechingly with drooping blue eyes. "Really? I thought that maybe the three of us could go grab a bite. It's almost noon!"

"Sorry Sadie," I apologized, "Bye Sadie. Bye Bast. It was nice to meet you two."

Before I walked away, Sadie grabbed my wrist. "Wait. We should meet again sometime. Maybe you can tell me more about the other magicians in Long Island if there are any."

Through the corner of my eye, I could see Bast staring at me pointedly.

I chose my words carefully. "There are others in Long Island but we prefer to be undisturbed. We have our own magic affairs to deal with. It would be better if you don't meet up any time soon."

Sadie's forehead wrinkled. "Are you saying that we shouldn't contact you at all?"

"I'm saying that if you desperately need help, then you know we're around," I clarified.

"But _how_ exactly can we communicate?" Sadie asked, "We deal with many problems in the Brooklyn House."

"Likewise in Long Island," I told her. Suddenly I had an idea. I took off my backpack and dug through it.

I fished out my "early birthday gift" from Persephone and handed it to Sadie.

"What is this?" Sadie asked, holding the flowery robe warily. She scrutinized the purple flowers and sniffed them tentatively. "Are these violets?"

"Pansies," I corrected, "This is a robe."

"What does it do?" Sadie questioned with a glint of excitement in her eyes, "Is it some sort of wonky calling or teleportation device?"

"As far as I know, it doesn't do anything," I said.

Sadie and Bast stared at me.

"Then why are you giving this to me?" Sadie asked, bewildered, "It's hideous!"

I smiled. "Consider it a reminder of our meeting."

"But it's useless and tacky!" cried Sadie.

"Yeah it is," I agreed, "But I got it from someone... important. Who knows? Maybe it does have a use."

Sadie glowered. "Is this a present that you want to get rid of or something?"

I chuckled sheepishly. "You got me. Sorry, but right now I don't have any awesome, handy gifts. Plus, I gotta go."

Sadie huffed. "I suppose that as a necromancer, floral robes aren't your thing. But the next time we meet again, you must give me a proper parting gift Nico di Angelo!"

"Sure thing Sadie Kane," I told her.

Sadie, Bast and I all said our farewells then I left the alley. I found another secluded place and slipped into a shadow.

As I shadow-travelled to California, I thought about the new world I found out about today. I remembered the first time I stumbled into Camp Jupiter. My mind was blown when I discovered this whole Roman counterpart that nobody else knew about.

Another thought hit me. It struck me that New York seemed to be a hub for mythological activity. If Manhattan was home to the Olympians, Long Island to the half-bloods and Brooklyn to the catlady along with Sadie Kane, then gods knew what lived in Queens!

* * *

**Thanks for reading!** **I hope you enjoyed this fanfic. This now kind of marks the end of "Magic Tricks"**

**I always intended this fanfic to be pretty short and not have a lot of ACTION so if you were expecting some sort of epic kidnapping scene, I apologize for getting your hopes up**

**Feel free to express your opinions. I'd love to hear some feedback!**

**Make sure to read my other fics if you liked this one!**

* * *

_Epilogue_

SADIE KANE

Turned out that Bast also had somewhere to go so I ended up eating lunch alone at a nearby cafe.

While I scoffed down my salad, I thought about the new magician I met. Nico was hands down one of the strangest chaps I've ever met and believe me, I've met some pretty bizarre people. What kind of thirteen-ish year old boy gives away a dressing gown made out of pansies?

Unfortunately, the dressing gown was too large for my satchel, thus I had to carry it around. People snickered when they caught a sight of the ghastly piece of clothing. It seemed that floral was not a trend these days.

Pushing my annoyance with the dressing down aside, I tried to enjoy my drink. As I sipped, I noticed that the petals of the dressing gown seemed to have a more intense shade of purple than I thought. Huh.

I lightly traced the outline of a petal with the tip of my index finger. The petal unmistakably _glowed._

I placed my palm on the dressing gown, causing the glow to brighten and spread. When my palm pressed down onto it, I could feel a warmth emanating from the dressing gown. My head was filled with an image of a lovely forest near an amphitheater with a gigantic bonfire. In the distance, I could see a large assortment of cabins. I looked down and saw a stem with leaves. It was as if I was looking at some sort of camp through the perspective of a flower.

Surprised, I withdrew my palm. The petal I outlined with my finger before was now a bit wilted. Judging by the delicateness of the petals, I had a feeling that whatever function this dressing gown had, it was a one-time thing.

Indeed, Nico di Angelo was a strange chap.


	4. Some Explaining

**WARNING: The next chapters make references to Rick Riordan's short story "The Son of Sobek". It's a canon PJO and Kane Chronicles crossover. I highly recommend reading "The Son of Sobek."**

**Anyway, I decided to continue this fic. I realized that there are more possibilities to this fic, so I thought, "Why not?" **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS OR THE KANE CHRONICLES. RICK RIORDAN DOES.**

* * *

SADIE KANE

After I saw that vision of a camp from the flowery dressing gown Nico di Angelo gave me, I immediately rushed back home. Fortunately, Uncle Amos happened to be visiting our Nome while taking a short break from his Chief Lector duties. I dragged him and Carter to the nearest empty room.

Once the door was shut, I pulled out the dressing gown which I managed to stuff into my satchel earlier. Carter and Uncle Amos goggled the ridiculous robe. For a few moments, nobody in the room spoke. The only noise was from the dining hall where the others were eating lunch.

Finally, Carter spoke. "Didn't you tell me that you went to Midnight Apparel? I thought they didn't sell anything lighter than navy blue, nevertheless neon purple bathrobes made from real flowers."

I scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. My taste isn't this bad! I got this from a magician that I met this morning. It's enchanted." I shook the dressing gown, causing its violet hues to intensify. "See! It glows!"

My brother and Uncle gawked at the robe then at me as if I've gone bonkers.

"Um, who's the magician you got it from?" Uncle Amos asked gingerly.

"His name is Nico di Angelo."

"Di Angelo..." mused Uncle Amos, "I do not personally know any magicians by the name di Angelo. Is he Italian?"

"Perhaps. However is accent was very much American," I replied, "I met him in a small clothing shop while I was looking for new combat boots. He's very young, like around my age. So he's thirteen-ish."

"Ish?" repeated Carter.

"I'm not entirely sure. He was quite scrawny."

"Did he approach you while you were shopping?" Uncle Amos enquired.

Suddenly, I realized that my story made me seem reckless or impulsive. Now I felt nervous about describing how I met Nico.

"Not exactly. I was looking for nice boots 'cause my old ones are rubbish and I saw him going through the jackets. I, um, was sorta gawking at him... Well, then he was all like 'Whadya want?' and I was like... Never mind. Actually I kinda, uh, told him that I was a magician from the Brooklyn House. And I mentioned Nomes too but in the beginning Nico thought I was talking about those buggers you see in gardens. Then he asked me to show him some magic tricks. So after he bought a posh jacket and I bought these cracking boots, we met up in an alley that he thought was dodgy but he came anyway. _Anyway,_ I, er, demonstrated some things I can do. Magically." The words came out very quickly.

Carter sighed exasperatedly. Inwardly, I sighed too. I braced myself for Carter's inevitable interrogation.

"Let me get this straight." Carter lifted his index finger. "You saw a guy in a clothing store and you decided, for no apparent reason, to tell him you're a magician."

"For the record, he had a really thick, shadowy aura," I stated, "If any of you were there, his aura would be the first you'd notice."

"Maybe he was wearing too much cologne," Carter pointed out, "Either way Sadie, you shouldn't just go up to strangers and tell them you're a magician from the House of Life! Did this Nico guy tell you he was a magician?"

I paused. "Now that you've mentioned it, I cannot remember if he outright stated that he's a magician."

Carter facepalmed and rolled his eyes at Uncle Amos, whose eyebrows furrowed.

"No, wait!" I cried, "He did say he was a necromancer. But I didn't ask him for a demonstration. I thought the shadowy aura of death was enough proof that Nico practiced creepy, death magic."

"So you never saw the boy perform magic?" Uncle Amos asked.

I nodded. "Nico called himself a 'pretty awesome necromancer'. He claimed he could raise skeletal armies. Personally, I do not want to see _anyone_ do that."

Carter sighed again. "Here's what I think. Sadie, I think you've been duped. OK, I don't want my next words to go over your head but you're a pretty girl. Most likely this Nico kid, judging by the fact that he shops in a store called Midnight Apparel, is some emo tween who was interested in you. So when you revealed that you're a magician, he probably just went along with it. Then he made some huge lie about being a necromancer because well, emo kids _are_ obsessed with death and stuff. But I'm not sure how to explain the tacky robe. Maybe it was an unwanted birthday present."

My jaw dropped. I crossed my arms. "Carter, that's rubbish! Just because someone wears black, does _not_ mean they're emo. And I _told _you. Nico had a really thick aura of death!"

"Like I said, _too much cologne,_" retorted my brother.

Uncle Amos butted in, probably to avoid the upcoming argument. "Sadie, what Carter is failing to say..." He paused to eye Carter pointedly. "...Is that you should be more careful with the people you choose to reveal you identity to."

Carter said, "For example, you should be careful with thirteen-ish year old boys with a penchant for anything death-related."

I scoffed. "FYI, Nico was rather wary at first. Like he wasn't sure about revealing _his_ identity."

"Or maybe he thought you were a weirdo by calling yourself a magician," Carter suggested, "You know, like any other ordinary mortal."

"I am quite sure that Nico is no ordinary mortal," I declared, "What sort of 'ordinary mortal' carries an sword around in plain sight?"

Carter's skepticism was replaced with astonishment. "Hold up. You didn't mention a sword!"

"Indeed." Uncle Amos was also shocked. "So, when you saw Nico, he was shopping for jackets in a normal store while carrying a sword? This boy is sounding stranger and stranger..."

"It was a real sword too," I told them, "Not some phony toy or corny samurai sword. It was a double-edged blade with a posh hilt. Just looking at it was frightening. It looked sharp enough to easily tear you into ribbons. On top of that, nobody in the store commented on it. Seriously, I could hear Nico at the cashier but the bloke at the register did not say a word about the sword."

I looked at my uncle and brother. Carter had gone pale.

"Just wondering, was his sword glowing?" Carter questioned. It was a bizarre question coming from Carter, but at least he looked almost ready to believe me.

"Not really. Nico's sword was pure black," I responded, "You have to take my word for it but the sword looked _magical._ I assumed Nico was a combat magician or something. Though, it was unlike any other sword I've seen. It had a different style from the Egyptian swords we have. I suppose they do things differently in the Long Island. By the way Carter, why haven't you told me about the Nome in Long Island?"

My brother Carter has visited all of the Nomes in North America. I thought it was rather inconsiderate of him to not inform me of magicians that lived so close by.

On the other hand, Uncle Amos looked at me, perplexed. "There is no Nome in Long Island," he told me, "And as far as I know, there are no magicians currently living in Long Island."

His words were like a hammer. I knew Uncle Amos wouldn't lie to me. However, now I wasn't so sure with my new mate Nico.

"B-but," I stuttered, "Bast came by for a short while. She practically tackled Nico just so she could chat with him. Plus, she didn't correct Nico when he was talking about how the magicians in Long Island are busy with other stuff."

"Bast knows Nico?" Uncle Amos asked.

I nodded. "Anyway, I forgot to tell you what the dressing gown does. If you put your hand on it, you'll see a vision of a camp."

I held out the robe for my uncle and brother. They placed their palms on it, their eyes widening as seconds passed by.

I pulled the robe away. Instantly, the petals wilted a bit. Not to worry, I knew that the petals were able to regenerate. However, I did not wish to overwork the robe.

Meanwhile, Uncle Amos and Carter regarded the robe like a lethal weapon.

"This is very... peculiar," Uncle Amos remarked, "It is clear that Nico is no ordinary mortal. I do not recognize what sort of magic this robe holds. It's not very Egyptian..."

"A camp..." Carter mumbled to himself, "Long Island... And Nico has a _sword... _Camper Boy..."

Abruptly, Carter turned to Uncle Amos. "I have to tell you something." My older brother glanced at me then added, "Privately."

"Whatever it is you need to say, you can say it in front of me," I told Carter.

Carter leaned towards Uncle Amos and whispered something to him. Amos's eyes widened.

Uncle Amos turned to me and gave me an apologetic look. "Sorry Sadie but Carter and I have to talk."

Being left out was not my cup of tea, however I knew they meant business. I huffed and left the room, taking the tacky dressing gown with me.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! **

**Feel free to review! I'd love to hear some feedback!**

**Seriously, if you haven't read "The Son of Sobek" GO READ IT. If you look it up in the Kane Chronicles' wiki, in the very end of the article, it gives a link to the story. THERE ARE AND GOING TO BE REFERENCES TO THE SON OF SOBEK I AM WARNING YOU.**

**Plus, the "Son of Sobek" entertaining :)**

**Next up is Nico's POV. If you want an inkling of where he is at the moment, reread the last part of the previous chapter and you'll know which HoO character is going to show up ;D**


	5. Bunny Business

**Aww, thanks guys for all the nice comments! One day I'm gonna die from all the sweetness! If that happens, I'll make sure to finish this fic first ;D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS SERIES OR THE KANE CHRONICLES**

* * *

NICO DI ANGELO

At least I got rid of that robe. _Gods_, it was tacky. I was so scared that I was going to have to carry it around with me forever! My life was short and tragic enough, I did not need that robe to garner any more pain and humiliation for the rest of my existence!

Anyway, judging by the fact that I was still alive, Persephone either...

a) Did not see me give away her "early birthday present" to Sadie,

Or b) Was waiting to turn me into a dandelion again once I was done shadow-travelling.

Luckily, when I burst out of the shadows and into Camp Jupiter, I did not feel myself undergoing photosynthesis. Phew!

I hoped the Romans did not mind me just dropping by without taking the entrance. Due to my previous encounter with the knife-nut catlady known as Bast and Sadie Kane the English Egyptian magician (that was fun to say), I was running late. I promised Hazel that I'd visit her during the first few days at Camp Jupiter. I needed to ensure that it was _not_ a horrible idea to place my half-sister, who was supposed to be dead, in a modern-day Roman camp that I barely knew about.

By the way, where was Hazel?...

I roamed around Temple Hill, making sure to stay near our meeting place, a black crypt built into the side of the hill. This was only my second time at Camp Jupiter and I knew I could get lost here easily. The Roman camp was much bigger than Camp Half-Blood, though that may be largely due to the fact that the Romans have their own city. I recalled when my father first informed me of New Rome. I was seriously shocked to learn about a whole city of demigods and their kids. Man, the Romans were really different from the Greeks. Plus, the Roman campers had their own structural society, with cohorts and two leading praetors. I only met one of the praetors, Reyna, who was also the only other Roman I knew other than Hazel.

The last time I was here, it was because my father instructed me to demand a spot for Hazel at Camp Jupiter. It went very quickly - Hazel and I left the Underworld and found ourselves in the Pluto temple on Temple Hill. We wandered around for a bit and saw Reyna in the Bellona temple. I persuaded Reyna to take Hazel in, Reyna reluctantly agreed then I left. No fancy tour or anything.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a man say, "My, my, do we have a graecus here?"

I whipped around. A translucent specter of a man wearing a toga frowned at me. A ghost, who just called me a graecus, which sounded too much like the word _Greek_.

The ghost sniffed shoulder. "Why, yes. You smell quite peculiar. Say, I believe you're wearing too much Greek-scented cologne. Ugh, it's suffocating!"

I sighed inwardly. Yep, this wouldn't do. Nobody here should even have a hint that I was Greek.

"I am a child of Had - I mean Pluto," I told the ghost as ominously as I could, "If you call me a graecus or make any Greek references to me ever again, I will banish you the Underworld for the rest of the eternity."

The ghost's eyes widened in terror. "A child of Pluto!"

"Ack! Shush!" I ordered, "Now _leave!_ And tell the other ghosts what I said to you!"

The ghost flew away swiftly, looking back every few yards to glance at me, frightened.

"Wow, you have a way with ghosts, don't you?"

I looked to my right and saw a teenaged guy approach me. As he got closer, I could see that he was tall, around fifteen-years-old and had cropped blond hair in a military style. His deep tan and lean build kind of reminded me of a blond Percy minus the sarcastic smile.

"I guess you can say that," I said to the boy.

The boy crossed his arms then studied me with serious blue eyes. I suddenly felt uncomfortable. I was pretty sure that if necessary, I was able to either fight or flight in case the guy was dangerous. However, there was something about his electric blue eyes that seemed sort of familiar...

"Why aren't you wearing your t-shirt?" He finally asked. He pointed at the purple t-shirt he wore, which I assumed was the Roman equivalent of Camp Half-Blood's orange shirts.

"Oh, um..." I hastily thought of an excuse. "Purple's not my colour." I thought back to the violet pansy robe Persephone gave me this morning. There was some truth to that statement.

The boy lifted an eyebrow. His eyes scrutinized me from head to toe, taking in my black jacket, black jeans, black sneakers and black sword. "No kidding, huh? Cool sword by the way. Where'd you get it?"

"I made it myself."

"Really now?" The boy sounded unconvinced. I guessed it was because, no matter how much I trained, I was a scrawny and pale thirteen-year-old. On that note, I started thinking that perhaps it was safer if the Romans underestimated me...

"Nico!"

Hazel's curly head bobbed in the distance as she jogged towards me. There was a bright smile on her face, her golden eyes gleaming. She was also wearing a purple t-shirt.

"Sorry I'm late," she apologized, "I just got back from my horseback riding lesson. It's real fun!"

I grimaced. I thought about how every pegasi refused to allow me to ride on them. "Horses don't like me."

"That's a shame. I love the horses here," Hazel told me. She turned to the blond guy, who stared at me as if I was a weirdo. "So Jason, I see you've met my brother Nico."

"We didn't introduce ourselves yet. Wait, _brother_?" The blond guy, Jason, sounded perplexed. His eyes glazed over me and Hazel, clearly noting our many physical dissimilarities.

"We're half-siblings," I clarified. There was no use letting Jason continue trying to figure out how an African-American girl and Caucasian boy were siblings without deducing that one or both us were adopted.

Jason still seemed befuddled. "Half-siblings... As in..." He looked back and forth from Hazel and I, putting two and two together. "Are you a son of...?"

I finished his sentence. "Pluto, yep. Nico di Angelo, son of Pluto." I held out my hand. Jason shook it.

"Okay... I've never met a Pluto kid until I've met Hazel so I'm sorry for my awkwardness. I'm Jason Grace, son of Jupiter," Jason introduced.

My jaw dropped. "Grace? And you're the son of Jupiter, the Roman counter- I mean god of lightning and flying and _boom!_?"

If Jason did not consider me a weirdo before, he was sure thinking it now. "Uh, yeah."

Oh my gods... I was discovering more and more dangerous information today. Did that mean that Jason was Thalia's younger Roman brother or something? I could not recall Thalia mentioning that before. Then again, I wasn't that close to Thalia.

Hazel cleared her throat. "Jason's the leader of the Fifth Cohort, the cohort I'm in. He's one of our praetors too."

I nodded. It made sense that the son of the king god would be a co-leader of the Roman camp. Still, my mind was blown that there was another Zeus, ahem _Jupiter _kid. Dang, that Big Three oath to sire no more children meant nothing to the other gods didn't it?

"Reyna told me a bit about you Nico," Jason said, "She told me how you brought Hazel here but left right afterwards. Why don't you stay here? You're a demigod. Demigods need to train in Camp Jupiter."

_Or Camp Half-Blood,_ I didn't say. Instead, I shrugged. "I prefer to travel a lot. I've got other places to be. Consider me as... an ambassador of Pluto."

Whatever Jason was about to say, he was interrupted by a sudden arc of red lightning. The bolt flashed in the direction of one of the magnificent buildings on Temple Hill. Dark clouds began to cluster around the biggest temple, flooding it with crimson light.

Jason caught my surprised expression. "Don't worry about the lightning," he assured me, "That happens all the time when our augur Octavian is busy."

"Augur?" I repeated.

"A prophet of sorts," Jason explained, "Although it's generally considered that Octavian has a... unique method of predicting the future."

As if by cue, a high-pitched scream emanated from the top of Temple Hill. I pointed my gaze towards Temple Hill's summit and saw a skinny silhouette race out of a majestic white temple.

"Though he usually doesn't scream," Jason added.

The three of us watched as a tall, thin boy ran towards us. Hold up, was he waving a torn-up teddy bear?

The boy, Octavian most likely, stopped in front of us, panting. It turned out I was wrong. In fact, Octavian was holding a severed stuffed_ bunny_ that required immediate medical attention.

"Hi Octavian," greeted Jason weakly. It was clear that Jason regarded this skinny guy as a weirdo too. "How's your auguries?"

Octavian glared at me, his eyes wild. Great, looked like the fourth Roman I've had the pleasure to meet was downright insane. Octavian pointed a dagger at me. With extreme discomfort, I realized it was the same dagger he probably used on the bunny whose gaping wounds spilled out stuffing.

"_You,_" he wheezed, "Beware the crazy stepmother."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I heard from this..." Octavian lifted the poor, ravaged bunny, "...That it's not supposed to happen. That one..."

We did not hear the rest of his sentence because at that precise moment, one of the red lightning bolts struck him.

* * *

**For the person who asked, probably when school comes rolling along, I won't update my stories as frequent. I'll try to update at least once a week.**

**I know that TLH is set during around December and according to the wiki, Hazel came to Camp Jupiter around a month before Jason disappeared. However, in this fanfic, Hazel is already in Camp Jupiter, even though this is set in September/October. ****(BTW I always thought Son of Sobek was set in the summer because I assumed Percy was still in camp). ****Sorry, I really try to make my stories fit in the timelines. Hope it doesn't bother anyone...**

**Anyway, how was the Sea of Monsters movie guys? Is it worth watching? I couldn't stand the first movie so I'm just wondering...**

**Feel free to leave some questions or comments. If want, you can PM (private message) me too.**

**NEXT UP is Carter Kane's POV. This is when the Son of Sobek references come up :D**


	6. A Little Chat

**Sorry for the wait! When it comes to full-blown stories with a plot and all, I tend to update less often. **

**This chapter kicks off after Sadie's chapter. **

**This is when the serious Son of Sobek references kick in. If you haven't read Son of Sobek yet, then stop reading this story. Right now. Go read Son of Sobek. This is for your own good.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS SERIES OR THE KANE CHRONICLES**

* * *

CARTER KANE

At first, I was a bit ticked off at my sister. As one of the leaders of the Twenty-First Nome, I expected better from Sadie. She shouldn't be telling random teenagers about magicians and the Brooklyn House whenever she went out to buy new boots! Plus, that Nico di Angelo kid she was talking about sounded pretty shady. What kind of thirteen-ish year old boy would claim to practice creepy, death magic?

However, that was before she mentioned the sword. Or Long Island. Or the fact that Bast, the Egyptian cat goddess, knew Nico. Or that the flowery robe he gave Sadie was definitely enchanted. Looking back, it probably would've been better if Sadie talked about those aforementioned topics first.

After I placed my palm on the flowery robe and saw that mysterious vision of a camp, I had an uneasy feeling in my gut. The last time I had that feeling was only recently, when I was around Camper Boy, a.k.a. Percy.

I was starting to suspect that Nico was somehow connected to Percy. They were both teenagers from Long Island with a penchant for double-edged blades. That_ couldn't _be a coincidence.

I decided to finally tell someone about what _really _happened during my experience with the "Long Island Swamp Monster". On the other hand, I couldn't talk about it with Sadie around. After I met Percy, I was planning to tell Sadie about him but I quickly changed my mind. I figured it wasn't the best idea to burden my sister with the knowledge of another world. Another world that could be as dangerous as ours or perhaps even more. There were nights in which I stayed awake, too anxious to sleep wondering if Percy would ever call for my help. I didn't want Sadie to be bothered too.

When Sadie insisted to stay, I whispered to Uncle Amos, "Maybe Nico is a Greek demigod."

That got my uncle's attention. I suspected that Amos was aware of the Greek world's existence. In fact, I recalled him once saying that "there were other gods in Manhattan." My suspicions were deemed correct when Uncle Amos's eyes widened with shock. Then he calmly told Sadie to leave.

Once Sadie left the room with the enchanted flowery robe, Uncle Amos turned to face me. He gazed at me expectantly, waiting for me to explain.

"Have you met our newest pet Mr. Irwin?" I asked.

Uncle Amos blinked. Clearly, he did not predict that I'd start with a seemingly random question.

"Mr. Irwin?" Uncle Amos repeated, "Is he that baby crocodile I saw swimming with Philip of Macedonia? The other initiates told me his name is Steve."

"That's his first name," I told him, "Anyway, when I first saw Mr. Irwin, he was a _petsuchos_."

"A son of Sobek," Uncle Amos said, "Yes, I've already heard about how you single-handedly defeated the monster that was terrorizing Long Island for weeks_. _Well done, by the way."

I exhaled. "Uncle, the thing is... I wasn't alone when I was dealing with the _petsuchos._"

For the first time, I launched into an accurate account about Percy's involvement in my short adventure. From my disgusting trip into a gigantic crocodile's belly to our conversation over cheeseburgers, I explained how Percy and I worked together to stop the _petsuchos. _Even though I found him extremely irritating, we did make a great team.

Then I talked about Percy in detail. I described his appearance - his tall stature, Mediterranean tan, black hair, sea-green eyes and bright orange camp shirt. I described how Percy could expertly use his glowing sword of "Celestial bronze" and create mindblowing whirlpools by will. Also, I explained how Percy made references to figures from Greek myths like pegasi, demigods, Kronos, Tartarus, cyclops and satyrs. Yet whenever I mentioned Egyptian concepts, Percy was confused. For example, when I talked about Nomes, Percy thought I was talking about lawn gnomes.

Eventually, I told Uncle Amos that I wrote an Eye of Horus on Percy's palm in case he needed to contact me.

"When I got home, I researched more about Greek mythology. Judging by his amazing water-manipulation powers, I'm pretty sure that Percy is the son of the Greek god of Poseidon," I concluded. Thunder boomed overhead.

"Indeed, Percy does fit the description of a child of the sea god," Uncle Amos agreed, deeply disturbed, "This is very, _very_ troubling. In order to keep balance, the mythological worlds must be kept separate from each other. The last time worlds clashed..." Uncle Amos shuddered. "Let's just say that during the American Civil War, the Union and Confederate states weren't the only forces colliding. Very few who aren't immortal know about the other worlds. They are entrusted with the immense responsibility to ensure that the worlds are detached."

I sighed. "So the Greek myths are real too. How wonderful." Hearing Uncle Amos, our Chief Lector, confirm my suspicions was completely overwhelming. I had enough problems to deal with. Now that I knew about another world that clearly had just as many issues, I could feel my stress increasing.

"It's obvious that someone wanted you and Percy to meet," Uncle Amos said, "Perhaps that same someone pulled some strings to bring Sadie and Nico to the same clothing shop at the same time. Speaking of Nico, now that we're considering the idea that he is a Greek demigod too, it's safe to assume that the powers he claimed to have are true."

"W-wait," I stuttered, "Sadie said that Nico could raise skeletal armies. No necromancer is powerful enough to do that."

"No _necromancer,_ as in no _magician _from the House of Life can perform such a feat," Uncle Amos stated, "A child of a specific Greek god on the other hand..."

"Hades, the Greek god of the dead," I said. There was another boom of thunder. It bothered me to admit it but Sadie was right. Nico was no ordinary mortal.

"Remember Carter: names have power. It's wiser to avoid using such names of supreme beings," Uncle Amos informed, "But yes, you are correct. Nico's alleged abilities suggest that he's a child of the Underworld."

A thought occurred to me. "Percy and Nico... They're sons of two of the most prominent gods in all of Greek mythology. That means that Sadie and I each met one of the most powerful young demigods in the world."

Uncle Amos nodded. "Likewise, Percy and Nico each met one of the strongest young magicians in the world. Clearly, someone wishes for the Egyptian and Greek worlds to collide."

"Yeah, I had a hunch about that when I was talking to Percy," I remarked, "But there's one thing I don't get. If Nico is a Greek demigod-"

"Half-blood," Uncle Amos interrupted, "I believe the children of the Greek gods prefer that term."

I suddenly felt uncomfortable. I remembered how I accidentally sucker-punched Percy with the Fist of Horus out of pent-up anger. Honestly, some of my anger had to do with my offense towards Percy's statement that I was a "half-blood". I felt guilty to learn that Percy did not mean it as a racial slur at all.

"Okay, if Nico truly is a half-blood, the son of a Greek god, then how does he know Bast?"

Uncle Amos rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "_That _I cannot figure out. It implies that Nico may have been aware of our world even before he met Sadie." Uncle Amos paused. "Nico knowing about the Egyptian world and the risks that come with it... That does explain why he let Sadie think he's a magician."

"Is that even allowed?" I questioned, "I can understand why _you_ know about the Greeks because you're an experienced magician and all. But Nico, he's around the same age as Sadie! Yet, he already met a goddess that he shouldn't know about!"

"That's why this time, we should actually look into this," Uncle Amos declared, "Before, if I discovered that any of you encountered a half-blood, I would've advised you to stay away from said half-blood at all costs. Now that I've learned that you and Sadie both met a particularly strong half-blood, it is better that we investigate."

I nodded in agreement. "We can start with the robe. The camp it shows... I bet that's the camp Percy's from."

Uncle Amos shook his head. "We must be careful with the robe. Didn't you see how the petals wilted? It's evident that it's something you can only use once, whatever the use is. What I think is that we must start with the previous owner of the robe. Specifically, a thirteenish year old boy who seems to know more than he needs to know. I think it's time we have a chat with this Nico di Angelo."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Feel free to spam the reviews with feedback!**

**If you haven't read the Son of Sobek yet but you still read this chapter, sorry but not sorry about spoiling SoS. Seriously, GO READ SON OF SOBEK IF YOU DIDN'T YET. PLEASE.**

**Did anyone get my little reference to a late Australian wildlife expert? **

**FINALLY, I'm done with the exposition chapters. I had to determine what sort of canon things are going to be included in this story before I dove into the action. Though, I think it's cool to see how characters learn about NEW STUFF. **

**Anyway, next up is Sadie's POV and we're going to see how the magicians are going to contact Nico. In the previous chapter with Nico, I let some HoO characters show up. I think it's only fair if some Kane Chronicles characters show up in the next chapter too ;)**

**Tell me which Kane Chronicles characters you'd like to see!**


	7. Contacting

**Yes I know. I'm horrible at updating. Shame on me.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE PJO OR KANE CHRONICLES SERIES. **

* * *

SADIE KANE

I must admit, I was a bit bummed out when my brother and uncle basically kicked me out of the study so they could "talk privately". Come _on_! If they were talking about Nico di Angelo, then I should be included in their conversation. After all, only _I _met Nico, a thirteen-ish year old, self-proclaimed "pretty awesome" necromancer whom carried around a jet-black sword and an outrageously hideous dressing gown.

Outside the study door, I could the murmur of their voices. I snapped my fingers repeatedly, desperately trying to recall the hieroglyph for eavesdropping. My concentration broke when I heard someone call out my name.

I whipped around to see Zia, Carter's girlfriend, approaching me.

"Sadie," Zia repeated, "What are you doing?"

Zia's startling amber eyes regarded me suspiciously.

"Nothing much!" I replied cheerfully, "Anyway, do you happen to know the hieroglyph for eavesdropping?"

The other girl sighed. "Not again. You know what Sadie, come with me. Let's join the others for lunch."

"I already ate lunch," I informed.

Too late - Zia already made up her mind. She seized my right arm and began dragging me to the dining area.

"What is this? The eighth time I caught you trying to listen in on Carter's conversations?" Zia said to me as she pulled me forward, "You're lucky I've never caught you listening to _my_ conversations with Carter."

"Hey, who said I eavesdrop on you and Carter?" I protested.

Zia sighed. "Sadie, it's really obvious. Either way, we should hurry before Khufu's eats all the tacos."

...

The dining area was rowdy, as usual. Alyssa, an earth elementalist, was feeding scones to Philip of Macedonia and Steve, our pet crocodiles (do crocodiles even eat scones?). A portion of the floor was covered in ice because of Felix, who was busy sliding around with his penguins. There was a minor scuffling occurring among Khufu and several initiates over the last few tacos. Cleo was nowhere to be seen. I guessed that she was in the library, her favourite place in the Brooklyn House.

While Zia went off to pull a howling Khufu off of Sean, I poured myself some juice and quickly downed it. I grabbed the seat next to my boyfriend Walt and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Hey," Walt greeted as he munched on a taco. "How was shoe shopping?"

"Great! I got new combat boots!" I showed off my new boots to Walt, who whistled appreciatively.

A thought occurred to me.

"Can we go talk in the hallway?" I asked Walt as he finished his taco, "I want to talk to you about something."

Without speaking, Walt followed me to the nearest empty hallway.

"I'm just wondering," I began casually, "Since you're hosting the god of funerals, you must know a bit about necromancers, am I right?"

Walt regarded me carefully. "Yes," he said slowly, "Sadie, where are going with this?"

"I have a small question," I told him, "Say, is it possible for necromancers to raise skeletal armies? I mean, I saw you do it, but that was with your Anubis's help."

Walt considered. "It suppose it is possible to raise up a skeletal army but only the best of the best magicians can perform such a task... However, without a god's help, it'll probably take a huge chunk of someone's life just to learn how to summon _one_ dead individual and order it around. Don't get me wrong - it _is_ possible for a very powerful necromancer to perform such a task. It'll take years to master it though."

"Years?" I repeated, astonished. "So someone my age shouldn't be able to raise the dead?"

Walt looked alarmed. "Sadie, are you planning on studying necromancy? I guess it's great to know you're interested, but _necromancy?!_"

"No! No!" I held my hands up. "I'm not interested in that creepy death magic at all! Uh, no offense." I huffed and pouted. "It's funny, though. I always thought that you'd be glad if I ever showed an interest in your... field of expertise."

He smiled dryly. "Let's just say that hosting Anubis influenced my opinion on it. He had the same job for the last three thousand years and I can tell that dealing with the dead gets old. Anyway, what's up with the necromancy question?"

"Today I met someone today - someone my age - who claimed to be a necromancer. A 'pretty awesome' one too, " I explained.

Walt tilted his head to the side. "Are you sure he wasn't lying. Or crazy?"

This time, I knew better. I spouted off the important details first. "His name is Nico di Angelo and he's a magician. He looks around my age, so thirteen-ish, and he's from Long Island, though Uncle Amos told me there's no Nome there. I met him in a clothing store - _The Midnight Apparel_. He carries around a pure-black double-edged sword. Apparently, Bast knows him too. Also, Nico has this strong deathly aura. And he gave me this." I lifted the flowery dressing gown.

Walt made a face at the sight of the hideous dressing gown. "Um, are you sure he wasn't crazy?" he repeated.

I sighed, exasperated. "I've already gone over this with Carter. As far as I know, Nico is _not _crazy, nor is he an ordinary mortal that wears too much death-scented perfume."

"What?"

"Nico is a magician! I'm quite sure of that fact!" I launched into a detailed account of my first meeting with Nico - our small conversation in the store, my demonstration of magic tricks, and Bast's appearance. Then I instructed Walt to place his hand on the flowery dressing gown for a moment. I could tell by his surprised expression that he could see the vision of the camp.

Afterwards, Walt looked more confused than he did in the beginning.

"Maybe he's a god in disguise," Walt suggested, "There are stories about this - gods appearing to prominent mortals, bearing gifts."

"But why would a god appear to me as a scrawny boy in a clothing store?" I asked.

Walt shrugged. "Gods are weird."

I leaned against a wall and huffed, "Honestly, meeting Nico raised more questions than answers. I still don't really know who he is!"

"We might have an answer for that," a boy's voice said.

Walt and I turned our heads in unison. At the end of the hallway, Carter waved us over.

"I'm guessing you told Walt about your new friend," Carter said to me.

"Yes," I answered, "And he did not scold me at all, unlike a certain brother of mine."

Carter rolled his eyes. I expected a snappy reply but instead, Carter told us, "Uncle Amos wants to see _both of you_ in the study."

...

Throughout Carter's story about a Camper Boy called Percy, I kept on thinking to myself, _I cannot believe Carter did not tell me this earlier. _Admittedly, I was rather disappointed. I thought we shared a close sibling bond to the point that if Carter discovered any dangerous, sword-wielding teenagers in our area, he'd tell me as soon as possible. But _no. _

Then Uncle Amos explained that there was a high possibility that Nico was somehow connected to this Percy bloke. He revealed to us of the existence of the Greek world. That part was completely overwhelming. I couldn't believe that another supposedly mythological world, with its own monstrous problems, co-existed with ours.

When Uncle Amos was done, Walt and I were staring at him in disbelief. For a few minutes, Walt and I just sat there, stunned.

Eventually, I had to say something. "Let me get this straight. Greek demigods exist? And you think Nico is one?"

"Yes, and your description of Nico suggests that he's a particularly powerful one," Uncle Amos responded, "It's very interesting. The Greek and Egyptian gods themselves are entirely different entities. Our worlds haven't overlapped in a very long time, which is a good thing."

"I don't mean to be rude, but why are you telling us this?" Walt asked, "If the Greek world really is that dangerous, then wouldn't it be better if we don't know about it? I was always told that sometimes it's safer if people knew less."

"Usually, my answer to that question would be a stone-cold 'yes'," Uncle Amos answered, "But obviously there is some divine interference happening here. It is no coincidence that two powerful demigods like Percy and Nico would encounter two powerful magicians like Carter and Sadie."

"What are we going to do about it?" I asked, "If you really think that the gods are involved, then they probably expect us to talk to the Greeks or something along those lines."

Carter chimed in, "That's exactly what we're planning to do. We're planning to talk to Nico. Since he knows Bast, he must have been aware of the Egyptian world beforehand. There's something fishy about him and we intend to know what it is."

Before I could open my mouth, Walt spoke. "I understand how talking to the Greeks is important," he began carefully, "But I don't see where I play into this. I mean, as far as I can remember, I've never ran into a random person carrying a fancy sword."

Uncle Amos smiled, a bit darkly. "Well, judging by Sadie's description of Nico, specifically the black sword, the boy is most likely a child of the Underworld. A child of Hades."

Was it just me, or did the room's temperature drop ten degrees at the utterance of the Greek Underworld god's name?

"And Walt is the one and only host of Anubis," I finished. "Are you saying that there's some sort of connection between Hades and Anubis?"

The room's temperature seemed to plummet again.

"Sadie, it's probably better if you don't drop names," Carter warned.

"OK fine." I rephrased my question. "Are you saying that there's our friends from Down Under are somehow related? I know they're both death gods-"

"Our Egyptian friend from Down Under is the god of funerals," Carter corrected, "And our Greek friend is the god of, um, Down Under in general. The Greeks have another deity that is _the_ god of death."

I rolled my eyes and diverted my attention back to Uncle Amos. "Either way, but didn't you say earlier that the Egyptian and Greek gods are completely separate?"

"The gods themselves are separate. Their domains - not quite so," Uncle Amos clarified, "Our worlds are alongside each other, meaning both the Egyptian and Greek gods watch over the same universe."

"But that would mean it's possible that there's a Greek god in Olympus watching me right now," I pointed out.

Uncle Amos nodded. "It is possible. Both set of gods watch over the same living beings, as well as the same departed souls." He abruptly stood up and began perusing the dusty scrollshelf of the study.

"I've read some scrolls", Uncle Amos said while he studied an ancient-looking piece of papyrus, "That talk about how individuals connected with the afterlife, no matter which world they belong in, are also connected amongst themselves. The same shadows, the same dead, the same ghosts are under their control."

Walt's face fell. I gazed at him curiously. He knew what Uncle Amos was talking about, didn't he?

"Aah." Uncle Amos returned to the table with a particularly dusty scroll. "Walt, have you ever tried ghost-messaging?"

* * *

**Thanks for reading! ****Again, sorry for the wait!**

**To any Australian readers - I'm sorry. I know that the temperature in Australian can get pretty hot and indeed, it has an abundance of mineral resources. Still, I wasn't trying to say that Australia = the Underworld.**

**By the way, who here has read House of Hades already? I might have to change up a certain character's personality...**

**Feel free to voice any questions, comments or predictions in the reviews!**


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